Cleaning apparatus.



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CLEANING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED IBB. 24.1908.

Patented June 1,1909.

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GLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, 1908.

Patented June 1, 1909.

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if@ Ji Unirnn ,STATES PA N rim@ 1 WILLIAM C. MAYO AND JOHN HOULEHAN, OFEL PASO, TEXAS, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO GEORGE E. BRIGGS, OF BARSTOW,TEXAS.

I CLEANING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented .Tune 1, 1 909.

- Application led February 24, 1908. Serial No. 417,388.

To all whom it may concern: Beit known that we, WiLLiAM C. MAYO and JoHN HOULEHAN, citizens of the United l States, residing at El Paso, inthe county of El Paso, State of Texas, have invented a newv lieved ofthe dirt and dust removed from the p tric motor will be employed.

articles cleansed.

The object of the present invention is to provide 'means whereby thedirt and dust may be dislodged from the articles to be cleansed by thedirect action of a stream of air forcibly blown against the articles,and the dust laden air then passes through a suitable depositingchamberor the dirt may be dislodged from the articles by producing a vacuum sothat the external air is caused to flow through the article to becleansed and so dislodge the dirt and dust which is then conveyed to asuitable depositing chamber, or any combination of these'two operationsmay be used at will. y

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a suitableair pump driven by any suitable type of motor, whether the same be anelectric motor or a water kmotor or an explosive engine, but generallyan elec- In connection with the air pump there is a reservoir upon whichis secured a depositing chamber through which the refuse laden air has atortuous passage so that the 'major portion of the refuse taken up bythe air from the article to be cleansed is deposited in such passage.However, some of the lighter particles may still remain suspended in theair, and to remove such particles the depositing chamber is providedwith a series of graded lscreens ultimately opening into a water chamberthrough which the air is caused to pass to be thoroughly'washed by theaction of the water. This is an important precaution since-the airWhichvhas become laden with dust and dirt from its action upon thearticle to be cleansed is again passed through thepump and any gritwhich might be carriecd by such air to the pump would be injurious tothe pump cylinders and valves.

In connection with the depositing chamber there is provided alcleanmgheadwhich may be applied directly to the articles to be cleansed, andthis cleaning head has communication directly with the pump or with areservoir into which the pump ldlscharges air under pressure, so that astream of compressed air may when desired be directed upon the articleto be cleansed. The cleans- 'ing head has also communication with thedepositing chamber, which latter is likewise in communication with thesuction side of the pump, so that air is drawn from the article to becleansed and carries the vdislodged refuse to the depositing chamber tobe there relieved from its load of refuse. i

The invention will be best understood by consideration of the followingdetail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawingsforming part of this speciiication, in which drawings,-

Figure 1 is a central section, with parts in elevation, of 'thedepositing chamber and reservoir supporting the same and also show ing apumping mechanism in elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan view'of* the cleansingchamber. Fig. 3 is a central section through the cleansing head. Figs. 4and 5 are elevations of the-cleansing head taken at right angles to eachother. Fig. 6 is an elevation, with some parts in section and otherparts broken away, of the complete apparatus, the showing being somewhatconventional.

Referring to the'drawings, and more particularly to Figs. l, 2, and 6,there is shown an air pump l, which showing may be considered asindicative only of an air pump capable of continuous operation, when sodesired for supplying air .under pressure to the reservoir v2. The airpump is not shown in detail since it forms the subject-matter of anotherapplication for Letters-Patent. The air pump is in communication withthe reservoir 2 by means of a suitable pipe 3.

The reservoir 2 may be in the form of a cylinder, as indicated, theupper end 'of which is formed with an outwardly-extending annular flange4 and with a top or cover 5 secured to the reservoir, and the wholereservoir isiconstructed to'stand a working pressure which mayreach onehundred pounds or more to the square inch.

Mounted upon the reservoir isv a casing 5 constituting the cleansingchamber, and this casing is provided at the lower end with a lateralannular flange 6 matching the flange 4 of the reservoir. Any suitablemeans for connecting these parts together may be employed, and aconvenient meansis shown comprising a bolt 7 hinged to the reservoir 2beneath the flange 4 and provided with a wing-nut 8, while the anges 4and 6 are each suitably slotted so that the hinge bolt may be turnedupon its pivot to enter the slots in the two flanges, which slots aremade to match, and the two flanges may be brought together with anydesired pressure by the wing nuts. This is a familiar type of latchconnection and need not be further considered, except to state that anappropriate number of such latches are used. Furthermore, there isinterposed between the top of the reservoir 2 and the bottom of the deositing chamber 5 a' suitable packing 9 W 'ch baille plates 12.

may be of rubber or gum or other material which will answer the purpose.The bottom of the chamber 5 is closed by a bottom plate f10 having anupturned peripheral flange 11. The plate 10, however is not fastenedtothe walls of the chamber. Formed, on and extending downward from theinner face of the to of the chamber 5 are a number of .paral el baffleplates 12 which are also formed integral with the side walls of thechamber as indicated in Fig. 2. 'Formed on the bottom .plate 10- areother parallel spaced baille plates 13 arranged to engage the side wallsof the casing 5, at points mtermediate of the Furthermore the 'baille ,iplates 12 are not quite as dee as the depth y of the casing 5 and thebafllep ates 13 do not reach quite to the upper wall or top of thecasing 5. Consequently there is -a tortuous passagel from one end of theseries of baille l lates to the other end. The baflle plates begin nearone end of the casingl 5 but do not reach quite to the other end. At thelastnamed end there is formed on the casing 5 a lateral wall 14spacedsome distance from the corresponding end of the casing and `oinedto the said end wall of the casing by a orizontal bottom portion 15.Projecting down from the top of the casing into the chamber formedbetween the wall 14 and the corres onding end of the casing is stillanother aflle plate 16 reaching to nearly the bottom of the compartmentformed between the wall 14 and the end wall ofthe casing. Thiscompartment is reached through an opening 17 in the top of the casingclosed by a suitable plug 18 which may be a screw plug or cap withmilled edges for conveniencel of manipulation. Water is poured into thecompartment until it extends a considerable distance above the loweredge of the baffle late 16. Between the wall 14 and the last aflieplate12 of the series of baffle plates are arranged a number of horizontalscreens 19 of gradually increasing fineness of mesh fromthelowermost'screen tofthe uppermost,

' which latter is placed near the top of the wall 14, the upper edge ofthe said wall not reachtion.

Ythrough it.

ing'quiteto the bottom face of the top of the casing 5. l

Entering the water chamber near the upper end thereof is a pipe 20 whichmay terminate in'a nozzlesha ed to receive the end of a flexible pipe21, t e other end of which.

perforation in th e casting and it is then headed over, as shown at 28,to form a tight connec- This showing is llargely conventional since anyother type of connection may be used, but so faras the understanding ol"the present vinventionis concerned the connection as shown and describedwill answer. The' casting 25 is formed with a central .throughpassage 29leading from the reservoir 2 to a nipple 30 receiving one end of a'flexible pipe 31 which may be in the form of a small bore hose. Thecasting 25 is also formed with a passage 32 concentric with the passage29 and extending through a nipple 33 adapted to receive a largerhose34-inclosing the small hose31. The casting 25 is formed with alateral neck 35 communicatin with the passage 32 and terminating in a bel 36. In the casting 25 are mounted three valves37, 38 and 39. Thevalves 37 and 39 are provided with axial passages 40 communicating withthe externalair and from these passages each valve has a lateralextension 41 extending to its `periphery. The valve 38 has a three-waypassage 42 The passage 41 of the valve 37 may be brought intocommunication with the passage'29 by a port 43, and the passage 41 ofthevalve 39 may be brought into communic'ation with the passage 32 througha port 44. The valve 38 is so located that the three-way connection maybe set to form a continuation of the passage 29 or to entirelyy closesaid passage or to move the interior of the reservoir 2 into'communication with the external air through another passage 45 in thecasing 25.

The chamber 5 at the end remote from the pipe 20 is connected to aconduit 46 which may be either round or other shape but is Vshown asrounded, and this pipe is su ported .by a bracket.47 fast onthe s1d waof the The lower end of the conduit'46 is ple 56 of the neck shorterthan the bell 50 and of less diameter, andits lower edge 53 is rounded,as indicated, this lower edge terminating above the lower edge of thebell 50. 'Projecting centrally upward from the bell 51 is aneck 54terminating at the upper end in the shoulder 55 from which rises-ascrewnipple 5 6. The upper end of the bell 50 is also formed with a shoulder57 from which rises a threaded collar 58 surrounding but spaced from theni 54. Extending centra-ll) through the neck 54 is a passage 59'counterbored at its lower end, as at 60', to receive the threaded end61 of a nozzle 62 provided with an annular shoulder 63 to abut againstthe lower face of the top of the bell 51, and the lower or outlet end ofthe nozzle 62 iscontracted, as shown at 64, whilethe mouth of thiscontracted portion may be expanded, as shown at 65. In the practicalembodiment of the invention'anumber of nozzles 62 of various lengths andsizes of oriice'wilhbe provided and consequently the showing of thedrawing is to be taken as illustrative only.

facing 68 which may be sprung intothe-rabbet 67 and so held.

The bottom of the bell 50 is formed with an inwardly-directed annularflange 66, at the periphery of which is a rabbet 67 the walls of whichinclude a more or less acute angle. ,Seated in this rabbet and againstthe under face of the flange 66 is an annular soit rubber The end of thehose 31 isis rung over a nipple 69 formed on a head 70, through whichhead and nipple there is a passageway 71. This passageway iscounter-bored, as shown at 72, and threaded to receive the nipple 56 andthe head is formed with an expanded end A73 adapted to the shoulder-55and confining 57 and con ning a suitable packing ring 78 thereto.

The cap 75 and head 70 are formed in onepiece and connected by suitablewebs 79.

Exterior to the bell 50 at diametrically opposite sides thereof, arebosses. from which project lugs 81 terminating in flat heads 82. Adaptedto the lugs 81 areeyes 83 on the ends of a yoke 84 receiving a handle85. The eyes are extended at d-iametrically opposite oints, as shown at86, so as to receive the eads 82 which lock these eyes onto the lugs 81when the yoke is inclined at an angle. Whenthe yoke is brqught to theupright position then the eyes may be sprung on or oli .the lugs 81because the arms of the yoke are made slightly elastic by being reducedin diameter toward 'the eyes. The

K ell 50 and the inner lfore a return of air through the hose 34 andtank 2 and the valve 38 is in position to permit the airto ilow from thetank 2 to the nozzle 62. Further, let it be assumed thatv the bell 50 isin close engagement with the article to be cleaned, whether the same. bea carpet or a piece of furniture or some other.

article. Because of thel constricted opening 64 the air jet issueswithforce and disturbs and loosens the dirt on the material circumscribed bythe bell. The air reaching the pump is by way of the chamber 5 andconduit 46 through the passage 32, which comunicates with the s acebetween the outer ell 51. There is therethe dust and dirt constitutingthe refuse from the article to be cleaned is carried by this return low`of air into the compartment 5 where, because of the comparatively largecapacity of this compartment, the air flow is -very much reduced 1nspeed and the refuse carried by the air is deposited in a large measureu on the baille plates 12 and 13,

whilethe lighter particles which still are suspended in the air arecarried through the screens 19, which being of gradually finer mesh inthe direction of flow of the air, remove practically all of the foreignmatter in the air. However, to thoroughly clean se the vair water maybeplaced in the compartment `provided therefor, and the air being drawn bythe pump will pass through the water and so be cleansed from even theinest particles held in suspension. Thus the air before reaching Athepump is most thoroughly cleansed 'and the partsiof the pump are therebysaved from injury which might occur from the scoring imparted to thepump cylinders and valves should particles of grit find their way to thepump.

' In order that the water contained in the final com artment of thecleansing chamber shall not' e. splashed about when the reservoirandcleansing chamber are moved from place to place, small blocks of cork orwood or other material capable of floating on the water may be used,such floats being indicated in Fig. 1 at87. Suppose that compressed airalone is desired, then the valve 39 is opened to the desired extent andthe suction of the pump acts to draw air through this valve into thepassage 32. If the opening of the valve 39 'e large enough and the airjet lbe strong enough then air coming into the passage 32 will.'low outthrough the ,valve 39, the pump 2 will ilow out of this valve to theatmosphere, the amount of suchoutflowv depending upon the extent ofopening of the valve 37. This of course lowers the air pressure at thenozzle 62. Under these conditions it is evident that less air is passinginto the cleaning head than the pump is taking out so that there is moreor less of a vacuum formed.l

Since, however, air is ilowing to the nozzle 62 the vacuum will notincrease above a certain the dirt on the object being cleaned.

l If the straight vacuum process is desired, then the three-way valve 38is turned yto connect the reservoir directly with the atmoshere and tocut it oil fromthe passage 29 eyond the valve. Under these conditionsthc pump is drawing air through the cleaning head and passage 32 but isdelivering air idly to the atmosphere. Now, the only air which can reachthe pump must come through the article being cleansed since the vacuumcreated only serves to seat the edges of the cleaning head firmly uponsuch object. Under these conditions the vacuum is as'high as may beobtained by the axpparatus since all the air which passes to t e pumpmust come either through the material being cleansed or around the edgesof the cleaning lhead. But with an apparatus properly con-` structed theleak yunder the edge of the rub# ber flange or washer 68 will bepractically nothing.

Since there may be some liability of the valve 39 choking from anaccumulation of dust or dirt, this valve may be located in the pipe 20/on the pump side of the casing 5 as shown in Fig.6, at 39 since at thispoint the air is clean.

The parts are so proportioned that the passage of air through thedepositing compartment 5 is very sluggish giving ample time for thegravitation of the particles to the bottom or for them to cling to thebafHe plates without being disturbed by the ilow of air. j

After the device has been used for a time it becomes necessary to cleanthe de osit chamber or casing 5 from the accumu ated refuse removed fromthe articles cleansed.. For this purpose the pipe 21 is disconnectedfrom theznozzle 22 or from the pipe 20, and the latch bolts 7 are movedout of engagement with the flange 6 so that the tank 5 as a whole may beliftedfrom engagement with the main tank or reservoir 2. Now, by pull-65 ing out ,the bottom plate 10, which may be amount while the air jetcontinues to stir up` done by the use of a suitably located finger ringor other type of handle, the baille plates 13 may all be removed fromthe baffle plates 12 and the whole structure is thereby easily cleansedand the water in the water tank may be caused to flow out through theopening 17. When the arts are again put in place fresh v water may epoured into the opening 17 and the cap 18 replaced. When the casing 5 islifted from the tank 2 the flanged conduit 46 is lifted from the bell36, and when the parts are again assembled the flange 48 once more isseated in the bell 36 against the washer 49. A similar structure may beused in connection with the pipes 20 and 23 so that it isunnecessary todisconnect a flexible pipe from the nozzle 22 when it is desired toremove the casing or compartment 5. This is shown in F ig. 6, where thepipe 20 is connected to the ipe 23 by a separable coupling comprising abe l 36 on the pipe 23 while a ilange 48 seated therein is formed on thecorresponding end of the pipe 20. y

It is to be understood of course that the hose connections 31 and 34 aremade as long as may be necessary to permit'the cleaning 4 head to beused at an appropriate distance from the pump and depositing tank.

What is claimed is 1. In a cleaning ap aratus, an air pump, a cleaninghead, a con uit between the cleaning head and the intake side of thepump for conducting air from the cleaning head, a conduit between thecleaning head and the pressure side of the ump for conducting air to thecleaning hea and means in each of said conduits to and from the cleaninghead for controlling the flow into and exhaustion of air from thecleaning head without affecting the operation ofthe pump.

` 2.l n a cleaning apparatus, an air pump,

a cleaning head, 'a conduit between the pressure side of the pump andthe cleaning head, a conduit between the intake side vof the pum and thecleaning head, andr a valve provided with a port leading to the externalatmosphere and adapted to be placed in commililnication with eitherofthe two conduits at w1 3. In a cleaning apparatus, an air ump, a 1 15cleaning head, a Aconc uit betweenV t e pressure side of the pump andthe cleaning head, a conduit between the intake side of the pum and thecleaning head, a valve provide with a port leading to the vexternal 120atmosphere and adapted to be placed in communication with either of thetwo conduits at will, and another valve in the conduit between thepressure side of the pump and the cleaning head, said valve beingmov-125 able to connect the pump to the cleaning head or to cut off the pumpfrom'the cleaning head and connect the pressure side of thepump to theatmosphere.' 4

4. In a cleaning apparatus, an air pump, a

cleaning head, a conduit between the pressure side of the pump and thecleaning head,

f munication with either of the two conduits,v

. at will, another Valve in the-conduit between the ressure side of thepump and the cleaning. ead, said valve being movable to conp nectthepump to the cleaning head or to cut 'off the pump from the cleaninghead and connectthe pressure side ofthe said pum to the atmosphere, anda valve in the con uit between the cleaning head" and the intake side ofthe pump lfor coupling the said conduit to the external atmosphere atwill.

5. In a cleaning a paratus, an air pump, an reservoir, a epositingchamber removabl)T connected to and carried by said air reservoir, aconduit between the reservoir and the pump, a cleaning head, a conduitbetween the cleaning head and they res-1 ervoir, a se arable conduitbetween the cleaning hea and the de ositing chamber and a separableconduit between the said depositing chamber and the pump.

air at will.

6. In a cleaning apparatus, a pumpf'a reservoir connected thereto, acleaning head, a conduit between the intake side of the pump and thecleaning head, a air jet nozzle carried by said cleaning hea a conduitbetween the nozzle and the reservoir', and a valve movable forconnecting l the reservoir with the nozzle or the reservoir with theexternal 7. Inl a cleaning system, a pump, an air reservoir, a cleaninghead, an air conduit between the cleaning head and reservoir, a valve insaid conduit for connecting the reservoir with the cleaning head or withthe external atmosphere, another valve for con. Y

necting ,the conduit leading from the reservoir to the cleaning headwith the external atmosphere, and a conduit between the cleaning headand the intake side of the pump. i

8. In a cleaningapparatus, an air pump, a l

reservoir connected thereto, a cleaning head, a jet-nozzle therein, anair conduit leading from thereservoir to the nozzle, valves in saidconduit for coupling the reservoir to the conduit orl to the externalair and for connecting the conduit to the external air, a deositingchamber, a conduit leading ,thereirom to the intake side of the pump,and another conduit .leading from the cleaning head to the depositingchamber.

9. In a cleaning ap aratus, an air pump, av

reservoir connected t ereto, a cleaning head, a jet-nozzle therein, anair conduit leading from xthe reservoir to the nozzle, valves in saidconduit for coupling the reservoir tothe conduit or to the external airand for connecting the conduit to the external air, a deositing chamber,an air conduit leading rom the cleaning head/tothe intake side of thepump through and cluding the depositing chamber, and a valve` in the sailast named `conduit between the cleaning head and the pump and movableto open said last named conduit to the external air at will.

10. In a cleaning ap aratus, a cleaning head comprising space Ibells oneconcentric to the other with the inner bell shorter than the outer belland with its lower edge above the lower edge ofthe outer bell, a nozzleconnected Iwith theinner bell at the center thereof and perpendiculartothe plane ofthe bottom of the lower bell, means for attaching twoconcentric hose to the bells one in com- `munication with the nozzle andthe other with the interior of the outer bell, and an A elastic4 annularbearin face connected to the bottom ofthe outer be In testimony that weclaim the foregoing u y L as our own, vwe have hereto aBxed ourslgnatures in the presence of two witnesses. l

' WILLIAM C. MAYO.

JOHN. HOULEHAN. Witnesses for Mayo: l

` WM. ADAMS,

J.' H. BUCHANAN. Witnesses for Houlehan:

MARY B. BUCHANAN, A. M. WALTHALL.

